A Whole New World
by it'sahobby
Summary: Rachel escaped her own personal hell in Ireland, flying right into the arms of Greg Sanders. As they build their relationship together what ghosts from their pasts are getting ready to jump out at them, and more importantly, will they overcome them? Greg/O.C
1. Chapter 1

**_I know that this fanfic contradicts the show a small bit in places when it comes to timelines and stuff but I've had to alter it to fit the story :) _**

**_Really hope you enjoy this and please please review! I own nothing of CSI!_**

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One month. That's all it took. One month for my life to change.

My name is Rachel, I'm Irish but my home now resides in Las Vegas.

Ireland will always have a place in my heart, I will visit but since I arrived in Vegas, I've never looked back.

It had too many bad memories to stay there. The darkest days of my life rest there.

I was in a three year relationship, if you could call it that. We hurt each other in every way possible.

We fought, cheated, stole, but we were both too weak to walk away, until my mother put her foot down and got me out of that hell hole, I started concentrating in college and realised I was actually quite intelligent, but I still wasn't happy.

So I left. Packed my bags and got out of there, getting my dream job in the process.

And now, one month on, I couldn't be happier.

"Babe, you really need to calm down, listen to some music it helps me," Greg Sanders reasoned as I darted around my reasonably sized apartment adjusting small details.

I looked up in time to see Greg fiddling with the radio in the kitchen.

"Put on any of your screamo rock music and I will have to kill you," I warned, fluffing a cushion for the third time.

I knew by instinct that Greg had rolled his eyes before turning to my usual station, letting Maroon 5 drift out of the speakers.

"I don't know how you listen to this, I mean Mick Jagger couldn't even dance!" Greg complained.

I rounded the corner wall to see him searching the fridge.

"Sure you have enough bread?" He chuckled as he held up two loafs of bread, two of the many I had bought the day before.

"My family are big on sandwiches, okay," I laughed sounding slightly defensive.

"So what time are your parents arriving?" Greg asked, pulling a slice of bread from the packet and pulling out the toaster.

"Four," I mumbled as I did a last sweep of the apartment making sure it was spotless.

My mum was a complete clean freak, something I'd inherited. My parents were happy for me when I left Ireland, they knew it's what I needed but I still felt the insesent need to prove to them I was happy here while they were over.

They were visiting for two weeks and I couldn't wait to see them, it was also Greg's first time meeting them.

Greg and I have been dating for two weeks now, not a very long time but we clicked the minute I started working with the Las Vegas Crime Lab.

We worked my first case together and I felt like I'd known him years.

"Are you nervous?" I asked him suddenly.

I watched as he shrugged awkwardly, concentrating on pouring his favourite Blue Hawaiian coffee into a mug.

"A little, I'm just worried I'll talk too much or say the wrong thing y'know,"

"You're seriously worried about talking too much, babe, you never stop!" I teased. "But it's okay cause it's one of your more endearing qualities," I told him truthfully.

"Was that a compliment?" Greg feigned shock as he stared at me, widening his dark eyes.

I chuckled and walked towards him circling his waist with my arms and laying my head down on his chest.

"Yeah I don't know if I've ever told you this but I kind of like you," I murmered jokingly into his black leather jacket.

"You're not too bad yourself," He murmered into my hair, placing a kiss on my forehead. "My little leprechaun,"

"You did not just call me that," I cringed as he laughed.

Greg finished his toast and coffee and headed back to his place to sleep for a few hours until his shift started again.

Grissom, my supervisor, had allowed me yesterday, today and tomorrow off to make sure I was fresh for my parents arrival.

As I sunk into my couch and flicked through my TV channels I felt my eyes getting heavy, my work routine still hadn't worn off.

I had butterflies in my stomach, me and my mum were very close and my dad always made me laugh so I'd missed them a lot, moving so far away.

I couldn't wait to see them. They were staying for two weeks and I was looking forward to introducing them to everyone at the lab.

As far as I was concerned everyone at the lab was a part of my new little make-shift family here in Vegas.

Even Hodges.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Warning! Spoilers for Mea Culpa S5 E9! I haven't received any reviews for this fanfiction yet, I know it has to take off still but it would be nice to know what you all think of Rachel :) I own nothing of CSI! Please R&R! :D_**

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"I'm back at work tomorrow night, so I'll leave you the spare key and you guys can come and go as you please," I told my mum and dad as they finished their lunch off at the breakfast counter.

"How many hours do you have to work?" My dad, Richard asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"The shifts vary so it depends who I'm working with, tomorrow night I have to go in at six and then I'm finished at eight the next morning but I usually get wrapped up in a case and pull a double,"

"I'm not sure I'm happy with you being put in danger like that," My mother, Judy, announced worriedly.

"Mum, I'm safe as I possibly could be, I'm not going to lie, accidents happen but I have a bullet proof vest and I'm armed, plus there's no way I'm leaving this job so I wouldn't waste my time if I were you," I refrained from rolling my eyes as I checked the drawer in the coffee table where I usually keep the spare key. "I think I left the spare at work," I mumbled more to myself than to my parents.

I cleaned up after my parents and then we got in the car and drove to the lab. Greg was working a case so I wasn't sure if he would be at the lab or not. I pulled into my usual parking space and led the way into the lab.

"Hey, I thought you were off today?" Wendy greeted me as we walked by her lab.

"Yeah I am but I left the spare key in my locker and I want to leave it with my parents so they're not stuck in the apartment while I'm at work or sleeping," I explained nodding my head in my parents direction.

After Wendy had introduced herself to my parents she announced that she had a pile of work to do and left.

"Rachel, a word, please?" I turned my head to see my supervisor, Grissom walking towards me. "I was just about to call, what are you doing here?"

"Needed to collect something from my locker," I explained. "This is Richard and Judy my mum and dad, mum, dad, this is my supervisor Gil Grissom,"

"Pleasure," Grissom shook hands with my parents before turning back to me. "As you know I'm in court today, I was presented with a matchbox that I found at a crime scene from five years ago and there's a fingerprint on it, a fingerprint that's not acounted for in my files," He explained.

I felt my frown deepen. "Is it consistent with the defendant?"

Grissom shook his head confusing me further. I looked behind Grissom at the sound of footprints coming up the hall. Ecklie was making his way towards us, his ever present frown placed firmly on his face.

"Walk with me," He said, I followed alongisde Grissom as we walked through the lab, my Mum and Dad following close behind us.

"I heard we have a problem," Ecklie started, I watched as Grissoms facial expression turned indifferent, he wouldn't let Ecklie talk down to him about this.

"The middle east has a problem," Grissom replied shortly, I had to fight the small grin that was threatening to stretch across my face.

"You missed a fingerprint on a key piece of evidence," Ecklie stated the obvious sounding impatient. Try as he might he knew he wouldn't get the better of Grissom.

"I'm trying to keep an open mind," Grissom replied.

"Then how do you explain it?"

"At the moment I can't," Grissom said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"Conrad, with all due respect the lab couldn't have missed that fingerprint, it's a complete mystery," I piped up, coming to Grissoms defence.

"Well then could someon have substituted a different match book?" Ecklie suggested. I tried to refrain from rolling my eyes.

"Well the evidence bag seal isn't broken and the match book appearence is consistant with the crime scene photos," Grissom explained shortly.

"Well since your original testimony differs from the actual physical evidence I thought I'd inform you, I've opened a supervisory inquiry," I felt my eyes widen at Ecklies words, this wasn't good.

"Thanks very much," I muttered just loud enough for Ecklie to hear me, I could have sworn I saw a slight grin on Grissoms face at my words.

"Well that's good Conrad, y'know I can't recal a lab director as expeditious as you," Grissom said very patronisingly as he turned to face Ecklie.

Ecklie had opened his mouth to answer back when a loud explosion sounded from down the hall accompanied by a few screams.

We ran towards the ballistics lab, people were staring through the glass trying to find the source of the noise.

I followed behind Ecklie and Grissom as they entered the lab. I hung back a bit, keeping mum and dad at bay of any underlying danger.

"You okay Bobby?" Grissom asked, staring at the broken tinted glass that lay a few feet a head of Bobby Dawson.

"I've been better," Bobby sighed as he placed his ear muffs down on the counter in front of him.

"What the hell happened?" Conrad asked sternly, glancing at Bobby in disbelief.

"I was about to test fire the Mac 10 but it accidently discharged," Bobby explained quickly, reminding me of a small child that had been caught breaking his mothers favourite vase. "I don't know how it happened," He shrugged. "I should have been more careful,"

"Whose case are you working on?" Conrad asked, his hands placed firmly on his hips.

I saw Bobby glance at Grissom before sighing.

"Sara Sidle and Greg Sanders, a gun was found next to a dead body at an off-strip parking lot,"

"Make sure you file a report,"

I couldn't help but groan unwardly at Ecklies words, Greg had only been working out on the field for a short while, a report filed against his case wouldn't look good.

"Keep me informed," Ecklie sighed impatiently to Grissom before stalking out of the lab.

"Rachel, I know you weren't here during the case I'm in trial for but I need all hands on deck for this one, would you mind staying?" Grissom asked, I had a lot of respect for Grissom so I often found it hard to say no when he asked me favours.

"Yeah sure, I just need to drive my mum and dad home first," I pointed towards them, if I hadn't been in such a serious situation I would have laughed at the expressions on both of their faces. They looked like cartoon characters as their heads swivelled to and fro between Grissom and I.

"I need you here, they can wait in the break room and I'll assign an officer to drive them back to your apartment," Grissom said, shaking his head.

I nodded and asked them if they were okay with that, once they agreed I collected the spare key from my locker and led them to the break room.

"There's coffee in the presses, food in the fridge, if any of the Grave shift workers or lab rats come in just tell them who you are, they wont mind. Oh and don't eat any food that has stuff labelled on it because it's usually samples or belongs to someone else," I explained to them, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and fished for it.

"Nick, Warrick, Catherine and I are in lab 4, meet us here - Grissom"

"I have to go but I'll talk to you guys in a bit, text me when you get back to the apartment!" I called as I raced out the door.

I had a bad feeling that this case wouldn't end well.


End file.
